The Hammerheads will take to the Legion Stadium pitch Saturday night against visiting Charleston with an opportunity to climb into the upper half of the USL Pro table.

With all of the discussion of the struggling offense, a possible 3-1-2 record would look pretty good to at least somewhat impressive.

How do they get there? One guy’s opinion:

A) Put the US Open Cup loss in the delete folder

The primary focus for all of the professional clubs in the US Open Cup field is the regular-season schedule in their respective leagues. Sure, no one wants to lose any game. Even friendlies can be tough to lose.

But the march to the playoffs is goal No. 1.

On the YouTube screen anyway, the Hammerheads did not seem to be there Wednesday night. Was the next – important – home match against Charleston on their minds? Maybe.

Regardless, they need to press delete and move on. They need to back up to the 1-nil win in Charleston the weekend before, when they held on with 10 men on the pitch against maybe their biggest rival.

But then again, the forward button on the season player is the best option.

B) Pick up the pace on counters

Once again, I think one of the keys for the Hammers will be the pace on counterattacks. Great teams punish opponents for mistakes. The wrong turnover at the wrong time becomes a goal on the other end – sometimes a few split seconds later.

To make this happen, the better teams are able to turn on a sense of urgency like a light switch.

C) Fun, Fun, Fun ’till your daddy takes the goalposts away

(Baby boomers know the Beach Boys song reference from the 1960s.)

You gotta have fun and I’m not seeing enough fun thus far. It’s a professional sport, but it doesn’t mean fun isn’t an important factor.

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About This Blog

I am Vince Nairn, coming to the StarNews after spending the first 24 years of my life in Ohio. I interned at the StarNews in 2010 and enjoyed a summer covering rugby, surfing, triathlons: The whole package. I grew up a few miles west of Cleveland and graduated from Ohio University (the Bobcats, not the Buckeyes) in 2011. I am here to be your point man for all the community sports in the Wilmington area. Email me at Vince.Nairn@starnewsonline.com.

Tom Grady has been the StarNews Hammerheads beat writer since the 2002 USL season. He’s followed the Second Division club through two appearances in the national championship game and the 2003 title.

Kick your way back here often for updates on Wilmington’s professional soccer team.